This
article is featured in the new book "The Cher Scrapbook"by Mary Anne Cassata

SONNY & CHERby Bill Morgan

Variety shows were popular
television fodder during the 1970s. Many TV studios felt that all they needed was a big
name star, a few good jokes, a dash of flash, and some bubbly music to create a variety
series for the viewing audience. Unfortunately, most of these programs vanished from the
airwaves almost as quickly as they appeared. Ever heard of "The New Bill Cosby
Show," "The Brady Bunch Hour," "The Don Knotts Show," or
"The Glenn Campbell Goodtime Hour?" From the slew of short-lived flops rose a
few notable standouts,
"Donny & Marie" and "The Flip Wilson Show." They are
among the handful of variety shows that lasted for more than one season. "The Flip
Wilson Show" did even better than that by shooting to the # 2 spot of the Nielsen Ratings during its first year.

Not as commercially successful, but probably the most-remembered
variety series of the 70s is "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour."
Introduced as a trial run in the summer of 1971, Sonny

and Cher found a permanent home on the CBS networks midseason
schedule. It wasnt an instant hit. The show managed to sneak into the # 8 spot when
no one was looking.

Salvatore Bono and Cherilyn LaPiere were the main characters of an unlikely success
story. They met in the mid-60s while Sonny was a struggling songwriter/musician and Cher
an aspiring actress and singer. It wasnt long before they were married and teamed up
to spend almost a decade performing in clubs and auditoriums. Considered "rock
freaks" by other musicians and much of the public, the Bonos sported
unconventional bangs and fur vests. They didnt seem to fit in, but Sonny was
determined that their talent would prevail. What he didnt know was that their tours
allowed them to hone their greatest future asset, the sadistic interplay between husband
and wife on stage.

Sonnys perseverance eventually led to the idea that their routine would be great
material for a comedy show on television. Their hit single "I Got You Babe" gave
them the leverage they needed to land the singing, dancing, and comedy show "The
Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour" from 1971 to 1974. The recurring comedy sketches included
Chers "Vamp" segments in which she portrayed notorious women in history;
"Sonnys Pizza" segment featuring Sonny as the dumb owner of a pizza parlor
and Cher as waitress Rosa; "Dirty Linen" segments with Cher as
"Laverne," sharing her views on men with a friend at the laundromat; and
headline news spoofs.

By May of 1974, the "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour" was at its peak of
popularity and reached its highest spot in the ratings. The Bonos marriage
wasnt quite as successful. Their union dissolved a few months before the end of the
third season, and to the disappointment of viewers across the country, their TV show met
an equally abrupt demise.

Citing that they could no longer work together, they both made an attempt to work
alone. Within months, "The Sonny Comedy Revue" premiered on NBC, and
"Cher" was televised by CBS. It was soon obvious that the chemistry they had
together didnt emerge on their own. Both series were canceled within the first year
on the air.

Sonny had always been the one to forge new ventures for the duo in the past, but this
time Cher asked Sonny to reunite their TV partnership for "The Sonny and Cher
Show" in 1976. Even though their private lives were headed in different directions,
they revived their comedy and singing personas to try and recapture the magic. Sonny and
Cher werent able to recover their original variety show audience, and the reunion
ended in little over a year.

I GOT TOYS
BABE

Anticipating another hit show, the Mego
Company designed a line of Sonny and Cher dolls and accessories in 1976. Both dolls were
12 1/4" replicas, fully jointed, and closely resembled the stars. Sonny came in one
version. He was dressed in blue jeans, white shirt, and black shoes and was packaged in a
window display box. Cher, on the other hand, was issued in a few variations. To match the
Sonny doll, one was created with a dark skin tone, rooted eyelashes, and long, silky black
hair. Wearing a pink dress, she too was packaged in a window display box. Both can be
found between $75-$100 each.

Another Cher doll by Mego was packaged in a red window display box with a photo of Cher
appearing on the box front. The doll body was molded differently. The doll head was the
same, but the body was non-articulated and made out of hollow plastic. This same doll was
also packaged in a clear plastic bag. The red boxed doll is valued at $75, while the
bagged version is worth about $50. The most deluxe edition of the Cher doll was the
Growing Hair Cher that came in three different box designs. Chers long black mane
could become even longer by pulling the thick strands out from the back of her head.
Dont worry, they were easily tucked back in place by pulling the ring from her back.
Expect to pay nearly double that of the standard issue doll to add this to your
collection.

The same
fashion designer that created Chers extravagant gowns for "The Sonny and Cher
Comedy Hour" was enlisted to design small-scale versions for the doll. Bob Mackie
fashions by Mego were equally extravagant, but may be considered gaudy by todays
standards. The names of the ensembles give insight as to what was packaged in each window
display box and blister card. Cher outfits can be found on blue cards, green, purple and
black boxes. There were over 30 designs with names like Electric Feathers, Indian Squaw,
Laverne, Fortune Teller, Pink Fluff, and Pink Panther. The carded versions can be found
for $30-$50 each, while some of the box styles can go for $75 and up.

Bob Mackie obviously enjoyed creating Cher fashions more than those for Sonny. Only six
Sonny versions were made, including Private Eye, Space Prince, Buckskin, Hoedown, Gypsy
King, and White Tux. They are valued between $25-$35.

Besides doll outfits, other doll accessories were the product of Mego. Chers
dressing room was available as a playset for the dolls. The set was designed to fold open
into a backstage dressing room. It included a couch, coffee table, dressing table, and
hangers for a wardrobe closet. Magic mirror cards were included to give the illusion that
Cher could see her reflection while wearing one of her designer gowns. New magic mirror
cards were available with some of the boxed outfits sold separately. Chers dressing
room is valued at $75-$100 when found in the original box.

The Cher Travel Trunk was designed to store the dozens of Bob Mackie fashions. Housed
in a red box, the trunk exterior featured travel stickers to showcase the many imaginary
exotic locations the Cher doll had visited, such as Spain, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Only
six hangers were included, which was minimal compared to the number of outfits that could
be purchased. The trunk also featured an accessories drawer. This is one of the most
difficult Cher accessories to find, resulting in a $125-$150 price tag.

The largest Mego collectible is size is the Sonny and Chers Theatre in the Round.
The square box was only a few inches deep, but over 2 1/2 feet wide. Inside were pieces
that assembled into a stage with three revolving rooms. A dressing room, stage, and
backstage included a vanity with chair, piano, bench, microphone, stool, spotlights, TV
camera, and backdrops. Due to the couples untimely separation during the production
of this item, two packaging variations can be found. The front label that originally
pictured both Sonny and Cher was

simply replaced with one displaying only Cher. Chers Theatre in the Round, as
well as Sonny and Chers Theatre, are both valued between $175-$200.

Perhaps the most rare doll accessory was Megos Sonny and Cher Chevy Roadster. The
red sport vehicle seemed a bit under-scale, as the two dolls would share little space
while touring around in this snug plastic jalopy. Packaged in a matching red box with a
photo of the dolls in the car, it is valued at about $200.

AND THE TOYS
GO ON

As Sonny and Cher memorabilia was quickly
filling store isles in 1976, it became evident that everything was coming from the Mego
Corporation. In addition to dolls and accessories, there was a handful of other items Mego
made to dazzle fans. Chers head and bust were transformed into a life-like plastic replica for two different
styling centers. One labeled as a Cher Makeup Center included a variety of makeup, hair
brushes and ribbons, eye lashes, and vinyl signature bag. Another set came with similar
contents and was packaged as a Growing Hair Styling Center. This head set included extra
locks of hair that could be pulled from the back and put back in place with the pull of a
string  much like that of the Growing Hair Cher doll. Each boxed styling center is
valued at $75-$100.

Young girls could also accessorize themselves with Cher Jewelry. More of a toy
then actual gems, these eccentric sets include pieces such as a large wooden logo
necklace, hoop earrings, and beaded wristband. Each set was packaged on a 9" x 11
1/2" blister card containing a unique illustration of the super star. A tote bag
featuring Chers logo was also available - possibly to hold all the valuable jewelry
sets.

In 1977, Mego introduced their last item in this extraordinary line of memorabilia.
Chers Sing-Along Phono was packaged with a photograph of Cher on the box front,
sporting her newly trimmed and curled hairdo. Other sides of the box picture previous Cher
Mego products. The record player includes an embossed Cher logo on the lid with a working
microphone, amplifier and adapter. The price of this musical number will surpass any other
Sonny and Cher Mego products.

For older fans that were beyond doll play, there were several Sonny and Cher paper
commodities available. The famous pop duo graced the cover of numerous magazines during
their hay day, while Cher took center stage as the subject of a few books. For under a
dollar, TV & Movie Screen, Rona Barretts Hollywood, and Photo
Screen were quick to reveal their private lives, rare photos, and some
behind-the-scenes gossip. Today, these informative publications can be cashed in at around
$25 each. Paperback books of Cher bring in about the same value and include titles such as
Superstar of the Seventies CHER! and Cher, Simply Cher.

If owning all the toys, magazines and books still leave a void in your collection,
there is an abundance of music-related paraphernalia to collect. Since the pair started
their recording career in the mid-60s, there are many albums, singles, tour books
and sheet music to uncover. With words and music by Sonny himself, "The Beat Goes
On" is one of the most coveted of all their sheet music. Recorded in 1967, this
Top-10 hit became the theme to their TV show. The youthful couple is pictured on the
9" x 12" cover, which holds a value of about $30. From the vinyl collection, one
of the more obscure items to find is a tiny 4" flexi-disc given out by Ford Motor
Company. The record came sealed in a red paper envelope that sported a early photo of
Sonny and Cher and included their number one hit "I Got You Babe" and "The
Beat Goes On." Today, this mini-disc is valued at $40.